Noticed
by Kotodashi Kyoshi
Summary: Hermione and Draco have a late night chat in the library


Round three of the QLFC. Keeper for the Kestrels. Prompt is to write about someone who shows grace to someone who doesn't deserve it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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Draco stared at the parchment blankly, quill long forgotten in the ink pot next to him. It was late, past curfew, but he had snuck into the library to work on an essay for Potions. The Slytherin common room had been too loud, his dorm mates too talkative.

He was behind on homework for all of his classes. He hadn't been able to focus in any of them. All he could think about was how to fix the Vanishing Cabinet.

How to kill Dumbledore.

How to save his mother.

How to dodge bloody Potter, who'd been following him around like a dog looking for a bone.

Sighing, he rested his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands.

"Malfoy?"

Draco didn't have to look up to know who that voice belonged to. He'd been listening to it answer every question in class for the past six years. He shut his eyes as the sound of a chair scraping across the floor filled his ears.

There was silence for a few moments before she spoke again. "Malfoy."

"It's past curfew, Granger. You shouldn't be here, it's against the rules." He finally looked up at her, leaning back in his chair.

She raised an eyebrow. "I could say the same to you, although I'm sure I've broken more rules than you have."

He just stared at her blankly. "What do you want, Granger?"

She had the grace to look embarrassed. "Nothing, the common room was too crowded, I just thought I could get some work done. I wasn't expecting anyone else to be here."

"Wasn't expecting anyone to catch you out past curfew?" Draco sneered at her.

"Why do you hate me so much?"

Well, he certainly hadn't been expecting that.

Before he could answer her, she spoke again, for which he was slightly grateful because he wasn't sure what he would have said.

"You look unwell. I'm not sure why, but I have my suspicions." She reached down for her bag and pulled something out.

Draco almost laughed when she put a green apple on the table between them.

"You haven't eaten during meals for weeks, your skin looks sallow, you've lost a lot of weight. You look really unhealthy," she blurted, cheeks red.

Did he really look that bad? Of course he did, and just like Snape had told him, he wasn't fooling anyone.

"Careful, Granger. One would think you cared."

"You don't have to do whatever it is that's causing you to not take care of yourself."

"You don't know what you're talking about." He started putting his things back in his bag.

"Maybe I don't. But I think you and I both know that I'm rarely wrong."

They stared at each other for what seemed like hours to Draco. "We aren't friends, Granger. What are you doing?"

Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment, fiddling with the strap on her bag. "In the Muggle world, sometimes people act the way you do, and it ends up turning out to be a cry for help. You're right, we aren't friends. But I think you need help, and I know you're too proud to ask for it. So, I wanted you to know, there are people willing to help you."

Draco was clenching his jaw so hard by the end of her little speech that he thought he might break a tooth. "You know nothing about my life! You have no idea what you're talking about. How dare you come in here and presume to think you know anything!"

Hermione stared at him hard for a few moments, chin jutted out, before her eyes softened. She picked the apple up off the table and held it out to him. He stared at her like she had grown another head.

"Go on. I promise I didn't poison it."

"I'm not going to eat your stupid apple."

"Just eat the apple, Malfoy."

"Now I'm really not going to eat it. You obviously did something to it!"

Both of them jumped when the doors to the library slammed open. "WHOSE IN HERE?! Children out of bed! Go find the snotty brats, Mrs. Norris!" The greasy sound of Filch's voice reached their ears.

Draco quickly blew out the lamp that had been giving him light and quickly gathered his parchment and ink pot. "Move it before that blasted cat finds us!"

They ran as quietly as they could through the aisles, until they had reached the back of the library. He zigged and zagged and wasn't expecting her to actually follow him. Filch had gone in the direction of the Restricted Section and Mrs. Norris was only a few rows down from them. Hermione pulled out her wand and with a few swishes and flicks along with a quiet incantation that Draco couldn't make out, the doors to the library flew open and slammed again.

"Quick, Mrs. Norris! Don't let them get away!" Filch roared, running back towards the doors as his cat turned and did the same.

Once they were both out of the library, Draco slid down against one of the bookshelves to sit on the floor, running a hand through his hair. He looked over at Hermione who was sitting next to him, holding the green apple out to him once more.

"Bloody hell, Granger." He snatched it out of her hand and took a bite. Tart, juicy, fresh. Untainted.

"Happy now, you swot?"

She stood back up and hoisted her bag onto her shoulder. "Don't forget about what I said, Malfoy."

He watched her walk halfway down the aisle before calling out to her, "Granger."

She stopped and turned back, brows raised in question. He stared at her as he took another bite of the apple, not breaking eye contact as he got to his feet and walked over to stand in front of her.

"You know I don't deserve this." He said it so quietly, after swallowing, that she almost hadn't heard him.

"You don't deserve a lot of the things life has handed you, Malfoy."

He stared down at her, eyes roaming over her hair that had tamed down considerably over the years. Over the freckles that he'd never been close enough to realize she had. Her teeth, which were perfectly straight now, thanks in part to him.

He reached his free hand up, reaching out as if he were going to touch her hair. But she slapped his hand away and glared at him. He huffed and turned away, taking another large bite of the apple.

"Just think about what I said, Draco."

He turned back around, startled at hearing her use his first name. But she was already heading towards the entrance. He almost went after her, but then stopped.

Why should he care?

He had more important things to worry about.

Another bite. How did she know he liked green apples anyway?


End file.
